All of the following pictures were taken at Cairns Tropical Zoo. My daughter’s school won an environmental award, and part of the prize was the whole class were able to make this trip! A few lucky parents were able to go along as well. Here are some of my efforts at the Bird Show. This was by far my favourite show.
We heard lots of stories about the birds from our Kiwi (New Zealand) Bird Man! The wedge-tailed eagle flew just above everyone’s heads. A few of the kids squealed when this happened.
My top tips for photographing a bird in flight
1)Use continuous shot mode
2) Go to a zoo to practice (ie bird show)
3) Adhere to all the rules, like sitting still (as you can with a camera clicking away in your hands).
4) Don’t give up even if that bird is really FAST!
It was awesome being up so close to them and see their wings in action! Capturing the details on the feather was helpful to understanding the structure of their wings.
I’ll write more about this zoo trip on my other blog, but from a creative point of view I loved trying out capturing birds in flight. It was tricky but fun. The show was limited in time as well and patience of the birds with the spectators was a factor as well.
Wedgetailed Eagle in Action
Owl in action
(c) June Perkins all rights reserved, please note you can’t photograph for commercial purpose at the zoo without prior written consent. These pics are just for personal practice.
What great photos June! I love the owl and the last one too. They are so majestic and that you’ve caught them in motion makes them all the more so.